Monarch+Butterfly+Tagging

**Monarch Butterfly Tagging Project**
=2010=

No data available for this year but we did rear, tag, and release another 100+ butterflies this year. Last March we learned that the Monarch Watch researchers did not travel to Mexico. The overwintering area that is utilized by the butterflies was hit with some terrible flooding in February so access to the small towns and villages was limited. Hopefully they will make it this year so we can see if any of our butterflies from last year or this year were found in Mexico.

=2009= Students and faculty reared Monarch Butterflies from caterpillars from September to October. Our fall 2009 data is listed below. We had a significant problem with parasitic insects and spiders attacking the butterflies while they were in chrysalis form. The parasites would hitch hike on the fresh milkweed that was brought into school every day to feed our numerous caterpillars. Another problem is that our classroom temperature is often over 85 degrees during the first part of the school year. I have read that this can be a problem. I might try to find a cooler spot for the pupa next year.


 * The photos below were taken by Katie Kline.**

Researchers from Monarch Watch (http://www.monarchwatch.org) will be travel to Mexico in early February to recover tags from butterflies. The people that live in monarch butterfly over-wintering area collect tags and then sell them to the researchers. Their data will be available sometime in March so that is when we will find out if any of our butterflies made it to Mexico.
 * || # Caterpillars |||| # Chrysalis |||||| Butterflies ||
 * Date || Collected || Present || Malfunctions || Formed || Tagged and Released || Disformed ||
 * August 31, 2009 || 191 || 80 || 6 || 0 || 0 || 0 ||
 * September 1, 2009 || 253 || 86 || 7 || 0 || 0 || 0 ||
 * September 4, 2009 || 290 || 146 || 6 || 3 || 3 || 0 ||
 * September 8, 2009 || 308 || 161 || 8 || 40 || 34 || 3 ||
 * September 9, 2009 || 313 || 154 || 8 || 46 || 34 || 3 ||
 * September 11, 2009 || 337 || 154 || 8 || 59 || 47 || 3 ||
 * September 13, 2009 || 337 || 152 || 8 || 77 || 64 || 3 ||
 * September 16, 2009 || 363 || 143 || 8 || 99 || 91 || 3 ||
 * September 20, 2009 || 366 || 117 || 23 || 115 || 107 || 6 ||
 * September 22, 2009 || 366 ||  ||   || 136 || 127 || 9 ||
 * September 25, 2009 || 366 ||  ||   || 148 || 139 || 9 ||